Stop, Rewind, Play
by sri ffn
Summary: When Khushi died with regret of unspoken words, Arnav stopped time for her. Khushi rewinded their history and they played it all over again.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Thank you so much for your heartfelt response to Wandering Hands. I am so overwhelmed from your warm welcome and encouragement. This is for NallyAshlokFan as always, I'm no good without her "pestering."**

 **Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction whose characters and original plots are owned by their respective authors, I wish I was one of them but I'm not. The plot changes belong solely to me, thank you.**

 **Prologue**

 _ **Stop**_

 _TRRING_

"Khushi Raizada, speaking."

"Really? And where are Kumari, Gupta and Singh?"

She chuckles, "I'm old now, the name is too long for me to remember and "Khushi Kumari Gu-what's the rest?" doesn't make a great introduction."

"Sarcasm, Ma? You must be pissed. Or missing Dad, which one is it?"

She sighs; he always knows what to say, "I don't know, Aarav. Both, I think."

"Ah! It's one of those days, eh? Did you make tons of Jalebi?"

"Oh no! Not anymore my boy. My body doesn't work at the same pace that it used to. I'm not quick to take up such projects anymore. No matter how much peace of mind they offer, the resulting increase in Cholesterol and other sleuth of medical problems is not worth the peace."

"Hmmm, I know you miss Dad, we all do. Why are you pissed? I thought you liked your new nurse. Should I come and check on you?"

"Maria? Oh, she's fine. Talks a little too much, but she'll do."

"Ma!" He laughs out loud, "You do know that's the exact thing Dad used to say about you, right?"

"Well, I-I never!" Khushi pretends to be indignant.

"Please Ma, you can't even pretend."

"Oh hush now. It's just – there is so much I never said to him in our early days –"

"It's never enough, Ma. I know Diwali's without Dad are hard for you. I wish we could celebrate with you."

"Hey now, don't feel guilty for even a minute. I may be far but I understand your restraints. You need to stay with her now. Give her my love and kiss her little one for me. You're a grandfather now, eh? Nanaji?"

"You sound more morose than yesterday, Ma. What has changed?"

"I think I'm dying Aarav and I couldn't be happier."

"Don't say such things, Ma. You're not going anywhere."

"Why would you keep me away from my Mr. Arnav? I'm more than happy to join him. It's been two very lonely years without him."

"And what will you say to him when you meet him?"

Khushi sighed. "Hmmm, there is so much I wish I would've said to him. So much I should've done."

"What are you talking about? You had your ups and down, Ma. Everyone does. You've always told me that, haven't you?"

"If only I could –

"Could what, Ma? Go back in time and do things differently? Would you do that? Given a chance, would you change something."

"Yes, no, I don't know. Don't ask me so many things. My brain is fragile now."

"Okay, Ma. You win. No questions. Now, rest up. We're coming to meet you the day after tomorrow. Okay? Give the kids love from me."

"Of course, _betu_. Bring gifts –

"And no chocolates. Yes, Ma. I know. You've given me the same set of instructions from past two years. The Orphanage policies haven't changed on the "Chocolate gifting rules" and I'm well aware of it."

"Oh don't be a grump, it's not like the little monsters are deprived of chocolates. They just need to earn chocolates as a life lesson. You know how it is!"

"Yes, I know. Okay, Ma, you take care of yourself. And don't worry about the things you couldn't say to Dad. I'm sure he heard it anyway."

 _Did he?_ Khushi blessed Aarav in a distracted goodbye. _Did Mr. Arnav really know the words she wished she said?_

The last entry in the diary of Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada was "If only, I could change the past. If only."

 _What did she want to change so badly?_ Aarav Raizada wonders.

 **A/N: I know, I know, I'm terrible. But she's an old woman who's had a fulfilling life and she's lonely and misses her husband. She has to die someday, right?**

 **This is my humble attempt at a 'Stop, Rewind and Play' of a few scenes that Khushi wished to see/relive from her life that may or may not have changed the course of her life. They can be read as a collection of One-Shots.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: As always, every chapter is dedicated to NallyAshlokFan, the sun in my shine, the moon in my light, the chutney to my samosa, the sauce to my fries, the aloo in my paratha, the Shahrukh to my Kajol. You get the drift.**

 **Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction whose characters and original plots are owned by their respective authors, I wish I was one of them but I'm not. The plot changes belong solely to me, thank you.**

 **CHAPTER – 1**

 _ **Rewind**_

 _Diwali 2011_

The opulence of Raizada Mansion also known as Shantivan witnessed the purest love on this auspicious Diwali. Arnav Singh Raizada could not take his eyes off Khushi Kumari Gupta. No matter how much he tried to stay away from the girl who makes him "feel." Her simplicity, her grace, her antiques, her smile, her essence keeps him glued to her.

 _Only Khushi Kumari Gupta can manage to trap herself between burning lamps._

He helped her walk out of the lamp circles, holding her close enough to smell her hair when she wobbled. _Why does she always smell so nice? And gods, her skin is so soft. Does she have any idea what this colour on her does to my senses? Oh, she's talking._

"I told you Miss Lavanya, these anklets were my mum's. I don't take them off, they're her last relic."

 _They're her mum's? Oh shit!_

Arnav shuffles his drawers to find the anklet he'd hidden securely. He planned to give it back, how, he had no idea. But, he'll figure it out. He went back to the party to find an excuse to give her the anklet. _Yes, I'll give her the anklet and that's why I want to find her. That's my excuse and I'm going to stick with it._ Arnav's logical brain inside him was shaking its virtual head at his reasoning.

There she was. He could feel himself walking towards her without any control on his limbs. And he saw her take a step back sub-consciously. She's just as affected as he is.

 _Gods, she's beautiful._

"Hello, Mr. Raizada!" Arnav turns to greet the man he cannot place the name of. He will have to check with Aman, he's going on about some ridiculous deal and its specifics, nothing that Arnav can recollect at present. Arnav shoots Aman a quick message to get back so he can revisit these business details his Khushi inticed brain refuses to process.

 _Where is she?_

Arnav searches for her all around the house to find her crouching down, lighting the lamps on the Poolside. _Wow, the lights make her look ethereal._

"Khushi?"

She turns and slips just in time for him to leap and catch her. Unfortunately, he couldn't dim the sudden impact on her ankle.

"Ow!" she squeaks.

Arnav holds her close and guides her to sit on the poolside bench. He kneels before her to see her face scrunched in pain. He places her hands back on her knees and pulls her foot to rest on his thigh. He can feel her cold feet through the silk of his trousers. He wonders if she can feel his warmth through her foot.

He lifts her saree and places it above her ankle. This is the first time he's deliberately touching her. Granted, it's to ease her pain because her pain sears his heart. But, the feel of her soft skin still renders him speechless. He sets her foot right. He can feel her dainty fingers hold him tightly.

The pain has receded. She pulls her foot back only to feel his hand holding her foot and placing it back on his thigh. _What is he doing?_ He pulls out a shiny object from his pocket and places it on her ankle. _Mum's anklet! But, but this was lost! How did he find it?_ His hand caresses her foot lightly permitting her to remove it from his warm thigh.

He takes a step back to make space for her to stand. _I should go back; I've given her the anklet now._ He starts walking away from her and that weird "feeling" in heart makes him uncomfortable again. _What is this feeling? Does she feel it too? Is she in as much pain? Will it ever stop hurting?_

He starts walking towards her, pain in his heart depleting with every step. Something deep inside him tells him this is right. She is right. She is gorgeous. She is effervescent. She is everything.

 _Why is he coming here? What is the meaning of this? What are we doing?_ Khushi's heart was working overtime. Her sub-conscious was taking a step back from the impending doom that Arnav Singh Raizada's steps towards her will bring. She hits the wall and he enters her elbow space.

His eyes are drinking her in. They are riveting from her cheeks, her eyes, her lips, back to her eyes. He places his hand on her soft cheek, holding her face in one hand. He lifts the annoying fringe of her hair and palms her face. He draws her closer to him, pinning her to the wall by his hips and his chest. He can feel her whole body trembling for him.

 _Up close, her beauty is just as unmarred. Up close, it's just me and her mirroring each other's stance. Up close, I'm just as boy who is mesmerised by a girl. Up close, I'm just one inch away from her lips._

**insert most annoying ringtone known to mankind**

And suddenly, the mirror cracks.

Aman, reverting to Arnav's message, unknowingly shattered the delicate bubble Arnav crafted around him and Khushi. Reality came crashing down on him. He slowly removed his hands from her face, inching his face away from hers, breathing her in for what he was sure the last time.

Before he could insert even more space between them, Khushi palmed his cheek and uttered a soft, "Please, not today."

Three words, it took three soft words from her lips to completely break his faltering resolve. The pull between them was too strong to ignore. "Not today," today is too special for them. Today is theirs. _Tomorrow can bring all their differences to face but today, today she is his and he is hers._

And suddenly, he feels her lips on his. Her soft lips planted a hard bruising kiss on his lips. She pulled his face back into hers and supported her weight on the wall. His hips involuntarily dug into hers, his hands threaded through her hair. She pulled his hair, he deepened the kiss. His tongue battled hers. Deep hard kisses turned into slow languid ones only to become deeper and harder than before. His hands travelled from her tresses to her shoulders, down her arms, to her waist. His thumb slowly caressed her waist while his lips were licking, sucking, biting and kissing all around her neck and collar bones.

**insert annoying ringtone again**

A collective groan was heard on the poolside from the tangled mass of limbs. As if they were one person, making a singular distressed noise. The kisses slowed down as the ringtone's shrill notes grew impossible to ignore.

Arnav placed his forehead against hers, his nose touching hers. His eyes turned to steel right before he picked up the phone. Khushi heard a panicked voice of Anjali on the other side; she felt Arnav's breath shallow. Khushi sighed as she saw him turn abruptly and walk away without a word or a second glance.

xoxo

"Hey! Stop! Rewind! That's not what happened." Khushi protests.

"But you wished it did." Arnav smirks.

"Of course, I wished Mr. Arnav, it was one of my few regrets." Khushi looks at Arnav's smirk getting curvier.

"That you didn't plant a bruising kiss on my lips?" Arnav quips.

"That I didn't say 'no' and hold you back." Khushi rests her head on his shoulders.

Arnav kisses her forehead, "That's the beauty of heaven Khushi, you can do just about anything here. Past, present, future, it's all the same here."

"This is heaven?" Khushi grins.

"Of course it is, why else do you think you're wearing a red saree. The colour takes your beauty to a next level, I swear."

Khushi laughs at his loopy smile.

"What next?" She enquires.

"You tell me." He answers.

xoxo

 **A/N: So, in case my poor writing has left you stranded and without an explanation, I would reiterate that the theme of this story is to 'Stop, Rewind and Play' a few scenes that Khushi wishes to see/relive from her life with slight meaningful alterations that may or may not change the course of her life. They can be read as a collection of One-Shots. I'm not very sure about my posting schedule for now, I'm sorry.**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for your wonderful response to this story. Many thanks to my heart and soul NallyAshlokFan; my favourite person in the world.**

 **Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction whose characters and original plots are owned by their respective authors, I wish I was one of them but I'm not. The plot changes belong solely to me, thank you.**

 **CHAPTER – 2**

 _ **Play**_

 _Have I really been that blind? Why was Lavanya so shocked that I cared about her feelings? Does Khushi –_

And suddenly the cup of coffee in his hands flew out of his reach and crashed on the poolside tiles.

"What the –

"Can't you watch where you're going?"

Khushi crouched down to collect the pieces of the broken mug. _Can she collect the pieces of her broken life just as easily? Will her sister collect herself if another marriage prospect is taken away from her?_

Arnav looked at her dainty hands shaking like a leaf. Out of sheer habit he used his hard voice to ask her.

"Khushi, I'm asking you something!"

She looked just as broken as the pieces of china she was picking. The lines on her face, the distress clearly evident as she continued picking up the pieces with shaking hands.

"Khushi?"

Arnav lowered himself to her level to take a closer look at her; he saw unformed tears in her eyes.

"Khushi? What happened to you?" Arnav asked in the soft voice that he used only with Khushi and his sister.

Her shoulders shook as Khushi sobbed silently.

"Khushi."

Arnav placed his hands on her quivering shoulders and lifted her up from the sitting position. He took a good look in her eyes. Eyes that wandered a mile a minute, clearly desolated. Arnav felt helpless and clueless. _Maybe it's something personal? Money problems?_

"Khushi, are you facing a personal crisis?" Arnav asked without any inflection. On Khushi's continued silence, he probed further.

"Do you need any help?"

 _Crisis was a good description._ If only it encompassed Khushi's life shattering before her eyes. Shyam wasn't a life partner she would've chosen for herself but he was a part of her life nonetheless, her fiancé. _How could he do this? To me, to my sister, to my family, to his own family, how could he?_

"Khushi?"

Khushi stood still as a statue. _Maybe she doesn't need me. Shit, how am I so bad at this! I don't even know how to make her talk about her problems, let alone solve them. No wonder Lavanya was so disappointed._ Arnav took a step back subconsciously wondering how to make her talk to him or open up to him when he felt her fragrance before he felt her weight on his bicep. Her sobs racked through his body.

"Khushi? Khushi? What happened to you?" Arnav asked in a rough voice that turned panicked. A voice keenly like his sisters screamed in his head _Console Her_. And so he did.

He caressed her shoulders and consoled her, "Khushi, shh shh."

"Khushi, it's okay." He rubbed her shoulders and back, he engulfed her more in a hug than a supporting shoulder.

 _What has her so distressed?_ His mind wandered into every possible scenario when it screeched to a halt. _Him!_ He was the one person in her life that Arnav absolutely never wished to think about, ever.

"Khushi, did your Fiancé say something –

 _Fiancé,_ her breath faltered. Arnav never talked about him. He didn't even acknowledge her fiancé's presence in her life. _How did you know, Mr. Arnav?_

"What did he do?" Arnav thundered.

"Khushi, what did your fiancé do? Did he try to hurt you?" Arnav mentally planned all the ways he wanted to hurt _Him_ if he had laid a finger on her.

"He-he, he said –

"Tell me, Khushi." Arnav persisted.

Khushi wanted to tell him everything, right then and there but something held her back. A scene witnessed on a rainy day when Arnav confessed that his sister was his world. The day of Rakhi, Arnav's celebration was only for his sister's happiness. His love, his affection, his only emotional connection was Anjali. If Arnav found out about Shyam, it would change everything. _Shyam, what have you done?_

"How could he? How could he do this to me? To us! He lied. He's married, how could he lie!"

Arnav couldn't believe the words out of her mouth. He shook her shoulders, "Khushi, what did you say?"

As the reality of her confession set in, Khushi decided to leave before she ended up confessing everything to Arnav.

"I-I have to go." She scampered.

"Khu-Khushi!" Arnav followed her trail. _Who lied to her? Did she say married?_

xoxo

"And? Do you think I'll find out?" Arnav asked Khushi.

"I don't think so. I never wanted to make huge changes in our lives Mr. Arnav. I just wished that I said a few words to you. Words that you needed to hear. I don't know, I just wanted to have my say, I think."

Arnav planted a kiss on her forehead.

"And now you can. This is your canvas, darling. Paint it Red!" Arnav chuckled.

"Have you been spending time with Aman? What happened to your sense of humour?" Khushi slapped his chest.

"Two years of your absence has made me stray from 'acceptable jokes,' my love." Arnav kissed her neck.

"Okay, let's see next." Khushi insisted.

"Please tell me this one has more smut than a hug and some tears." Arnav pleaded.

"Oh it's got so much more." Khushi smirked.

xoxo

 **A/N: Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review if you can, your words make my day.**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you so much for your lovely responses. Many thanks to NallyAshlokFan for being the best sound board in the world.**

 **Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction whose characters and original plots are owned by their respective authors, I wish I was one of them but I'm not. The plot changes belong solely to me, thank you.**

 **CHAPTER – 3**

 _ **Forward**_

 _Sometime after the Haldi Ceremony of Payal and Akash_

"And, you –

Khushi jumped on her toes, held his biceps for support and brushed her lips across his cheek. A loud astonished gasp was heard.

"Oh dear Goddess, what did I just do?" Khushi mutters a stuttering apology before scampering away from him and her embarrassment.

At that very moment, Arnav, his grandmother and his sister were shocked, surprised and elated for their respective reasons.

 _Did she just do what I think she did?_

 _Oh, thank god! We finally found a match for my-business-is-my-life grandson of mine._

 _Oh yes! Miss Khushi likes my little brother! And oh, look at him all shell shocked and surprisingly, huh, not exploding? I need to talk to grandma._

Khushi reached the gate and took a deep breath. Her heartbeat was faster again, she really needed to take control of this growing problem. _Shit! That was too close._

Just as she opened the door, one arm barred the opening. Khushi could smell him from his close proximity. She needed to get away from him before she made an even bigger fool of herself. She turned fully intending to leave from the open side when she felt both his arms around her, his chest a careful distance away. Khushi slowly turned around while keeping an acceptable distance between two people standing in as close as they were. She didn't meet his eyes though, they were her downfall.

"What did you do right now?" Arnav asked in a low voice.

 _Think Khushi, think. You can't be a loser in front of Arnav Singh Raizada, lose - the bet! Of course!_

"Yeah, so what? I was just keeping up my end of the bet." Khushi jut her chin to make her point.

 _Bet?_ Arnav slowly removed his arms that caged Khushi.

"So, this – was for the bet?" Arnav enquired.

"Or what else? Did you forget the terms of the bet?" Khushi deflected.

"Really? You did this "just" for the bet?" Arnav asked in a soft voice.

"Isn't that why 'you' did it?" Khushi replied equally softly.

Arnav leaned into her by placing his hand on the door again. Khushi reels from his intrusion in her space.

"Is that what you think? That I did it for a bet?" Arnav whispers in her ear.

"I don't know what to think anymore." Khushi replies almost inaudibly.

"Think about this." Arnav pressed a light kiss on her neck.

"This is not for a bet." He mumbled across her skin before he walked back inside the house.

Khushi took a deep breath, her thoughts ran in every direction. _What did he just do?_

xoxo

Arnav continued lavishing Khushi's neck and collar bone with kisses. He licked her skin and sucked on it. He bit her earlobe and breathed into her ear, "I love you."

Khushi palmed his cheeks and proceeded to thoroughly kiss his lips. She sucked on the top lip and switched to bottom and went back to the top because she just couldn't stop kissing him.

"I love you." She kissed his lips.

"I love you." She kissed his neck.

"I love you." She kissed his collar bone.

"I love you." She kissed between his chest plates.

"Khushi," Arnav pulled her up to his face. He dragged a finger down her cheeks, through her neck, to her throat, between her collar bones, down in her cleavage.

"We wasted so much time," Arnav muttered while sucking on the skin of her bare shoulders.

"No, Mr. Arnav, we had a fulfilling life, a happy life. These small changes will make a big difference one day, trust me." Khushi reassured Arnav by pressing her foreheard against his and looking straight in his eyes.

"Hey where are my hugs and tears? I was promised hugs and tears."

"Patience, Mr. Arnav." Khushi smirks.

"Do you think this is really happening? Are we changing the past, Khushi?" Arnav kissed her cheeks.

"This is heaven Mr. Arnav, there's no past or present here." Khushi replied between kisses.

"What if we are?"

"Let's see."

xoxo

 **A/N: Yes, this one is THIS tiny. Yes, the next one is long-ish.**

 **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. You make my day.**

 **All my love**

 **-sri**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so much for your lovely responses. Many thanks to NallyAshlokFan for existing; her presence in my life has made all the difference.**

 **Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction whose characters and original plots are owned by their respective authors, I wish I was one of them but I'm not. The plot changes belong solely to me, thank you.**

 **CHAPTER – 4**

 _ **Record**_

 _Payal and Akash's wedding evening_

Bathed in love, that was Arnav and Khushi's state of mind that evening in the Raizada Mansion. Both were remembering the best moments of their past. Their first Diwali, their first kiss, their first dance, their betting kisses and of course, his bonus kiss.

 _Today I would tell Khushi why it matters to me._ Arnav took long strides to reach Khushi. He opened the door to the Terrace only to find the love of his life in the arms of his sister's husband.

"I only want you Miss Khushi, I don't consider Her Highness as my wife. And this marriage doesn't mean anything to me either. Believe me, Khushi, I love only you and I love you a lot."

Arnav saw Khushi pushing Shyam back, "It doesn't mean anything to you?"

"Nothing at all Miss Khushi, really."

"If this relationship means nothing to you, then why don't you break this marriage? Leave Mrs. Anjali! She doesn't deserve someone like you anyway."

Time stopped for Arnav. He walked back to his room in a daze. His mind refused to process the image seared on his brain. The image of Khushi, his Khushi, in his sister's husband, Shyam's arms. Arnav couldn't believe what his eyes just saw. Did he really see Khushi in Shyam's arms?Did he hear them right? _He loves Khushi? And she wants him to leave my sister? No, she said Anjali doesn't deserve someone like Shyam. What does Khushi know and why didn't she ever tell me?_

A flashback of an afternoon by the Poolside came to Arnav's mind, a broken mug and a broken Khushi, muttering about someone being married. _Did she mean Shyam that day? But, she was upset about her fiancé, I thought – no! Was Shyam engaged to Khushi? How is that even possible?_

Arnav thought long and hard about Shyam and the scene he witnessed just few minutes ago. He decided to not keep this from Anjali even though it will be very painful for her. He went out to search for Anjali when he found Shyam loitering around his house. Fury set in his bones. He started walking towards him when Khushi stood in his way.

 _Mr. Arnav!_ Khushi was searching for Arnav high and low around the house when she found him walking towards her and for once Khushi didn't take a step back, instead, she stepped forward till she reached him.

"I need to talk to you about something important!" They said at the same time.

"Me first Khushi, come here." Arnav held her hand and dragged her inside the first empty room he found and locked the door behind him.

"Tell me everything you know about Shyam Manohar Jh –"

"Mr. Shyam is cheating on Mrs. Anjali." Khushi blurted before Arnav finished his sentence.

"With you?" Arnav asked with a steel voice.

"He tried," Khushi scoffed, "I was too smart and figured out his dirty little secret before he could do more damage than he had."

"Damage? What damage? And why didn't you tell me or my family? Why were you up there with him Khushi?" Arnav's voice sounded more agitated with each sentence.

"Up there? You saw me on the terrace?" Khushi is astonished.

"I saw you ask him to leave my sister. I saw you say she doesn't deserve him though I don't understand why. Why were you in his arms?"

"Oh you missed the climax, Mr. Arnav. I was in his arms because he forced his arms around me. And the scene you missed was the one where I told him he was a sleaze and he doesn't deserve to leave an angel like Mrs. Anjali, that she should leave 'his' sorry arse for her best interests." Khushi stood straighter.

"But, how do you even know Shyam for him to fall in love with you? You met him on the day of the Pooja –

Khushi gestured Arnav to pause, "that's not the day I met him, that's the day I broke our engagement because I found out about his previous marriage that he never told my family about."

"That's why you were crying? 'He's married', you meant Shyam that day?"

Khushi told Arnav the whole sordid saga of how Shyam weaved his way into her life and has been threatening Khushi by using Payal's marriage to Akash against her.

"I can't believe you! You knew since THAT day? Did you not think it necessary to tell me? Not even once? Your whole family knew and never told us? Why should I believe you Khushi Kumari Gupta? I should've known better than to think you were any different." Arnav hissed.

"But, Mr. Arnav –

Arnav left the room before Khushi could explain anything to him. His thoughts were focused solely on his sister and her cheating husband. He needed to tell her about Shyam's despicable affair. _I'm so sorry I have to do this to you, Di._

Arnav informed Shyam that they needed to talk and took him to his room. He locked the door behind him and told him all about what he saw on the terrace. Shyam revealed his true colours when Arnav irately mentioned Khushi. It was as if a dam had broken and Shyam couldn't stop boasting about this profound love he shared with Khushi. And, with every sentence that described his obsession with Khushi, Shyam dug himself deeper into the pit of Arnav's hatred.

Arnav dismissed Khushi's vague explanation earlier but, with each description of Shyam and his fixation with Khushi, Arnav started believing that maybe Khushi was as innocent as she claims to be.

Arnav's not-so-fruitful conversation with Shyam led him to his sisters room where he saw none other than Khushi Kumari Gupta hovering. She maybe innocent in all this but she lied to him and his family and had thereby snapped the thin thread of trust Arnav wove around her.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you done enough damage?"

"I'm here to tell Mrs. Anjali the whole truth about her husband. It will be painful but she deserves to know."

Arnav opened his mouth to protest but the words died in his mouth as his sister opened the door with a bright smile.

They stammered through an explanation but before they both could form coherent sentences and explain it all, Anjali fainted. Panic ensued in the Raizada Mansion. Everyone gathered around Anjali to fuss over her. By the time everyone left and Arnav and Khushi could tell Anjali the truth, Anjali told them both about her pregnancy.

All their plans to come clean to Anjali vanished with that small piece of information. Khushi saw Anjali hug Shyam and celebrate the imminent arrival of their child. She hoped against hope that this child will be loved. That maybe, finally, Shyam will have something meaningful with his wife, something that will finally bind him to her. Arnav saw raw burning passion in Shyam's eyes, passion directed at Khushi who was standing right behind Arnav's shoulder.

xoxo

Khushi buried her face in Arnav's chest. Arnav could feel her tears on his skin. He lifted her face and kissed her tears away.

"Hey? This is all in the past. We're here now, we got rid of that slime, remember?"

"I remember, Mr. Arnav. But, I feel so bad for Mrs. Anjali." Khushi smiled through glistening eyes.

"I know sweetheart, but she's had a happy life too. Karan has been an amazing life partner for her; he was a wonderful father too." Arnav reminisced.

"Mr. Karan was so funny! You remember the first time Mrs. Anjali introduced us to Mr. Karan? You thought he's a hermit!" Khushi laughed out loud.

"Can you blame me? The guy was wearing _Dhoti-Kurta_ and had _Rudraksh_ beads around his hands. How was I to know that he's taken a spiritual journey and is on a one year sabbatical?" Arnav flailed his arms to emphasize his astonishment.

"Oh, Mr. Arnav! Your face when he told you he's the owner of the Mehrotra Industries. I swear I was this close to spouting _Jalebi_ out of my mouth." Khushi sniggered.

"Oh really? Which mouth? This one?"

Arnav took Khushi's lips between his and kissed her thoroughly. He threaded his hands through her long hair and pulled her closer while he shoved his tongue in her mouth. Khushi grabbed his butts to grind her hips to his when she remembered they had a story to complete.

"M-Mr. Arnav," Khushi muttered between kisses.

Arnav trailed kisses down her neck to her cleavage, "Hmm?"

"I wanna see what happens next." Khushi caught both his cheeks in her palms and kissed his lips soundly.

"I don't think you care, sweetheart." Arnav slid his hands up her thighs slowly and reached between her legs. He stilled his hands right where he felt her heat.

"Oh please." Khushi begged him to continue.

"Please what, sweetheart?" Arnav murmured against her neck.

"Please, please." Khushi panted, her forehead on his shoulders.

Arnav slowly inserted his fingers in her and moved them at a leisurely pace while he laved her neck with kisses and nibbles and licks.

"Please, Arnav, faster." She pulled his hair and drew him closer even though there was no space between them.

"Faster, Khushi?" Arnav increased his pace and rubbed her with his thumb while his fingers made her scream.

Khushi bit Arnav's neck to stop herself from screaming. He stilled his fingers in her and then slowly drew them out. Khushi then lied on his chest, trying to catch her breath after that fantastic orgasm.

"So, what do think will happen now?" Arnav asked Khushi with a smirk.

Khushi trailed her hands down his chest to reach his –

"Not with us here, silly. Us, down there. What do you think will happen now?" Arnav clutched her hands before they reached anywhere.

"Everything has changed now; I don't know what will happen anymore." Khushi peered into his eyes and then narrowed her own.

"Do you know something I don't, Mr. Arnav?" Khushi asked Arnav.

Arnav smiled knowingly, "Let's see, shall we?"

xoxo

 **Thank you so much for your heartfelt response to this story. I am so thrilled to write this for you all. I'm sorry if it's getting progressively OOC. I'm trying to maintain as much Canon as possible. And I'm really sorry for the delay. I know you don't care that real life was a bitch and a half, but well, it was. [;)]**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you so much for your lovely responses. Many thanks to my darling, NallyAshlokFan and to my lovely readers for all their inspiration and support in writing this story, this story would not have been what it is without your support.**

 **Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction whose characters and original plots are owned by their respective authors, I wish I was one of them but I'm not. The plot changes belong solely to me, thank you.**

 **CHAPTER – 5**

 _ **Pause**_

 _Poolside before the wedding vows of Payal and Akash_

"Mr. Arnav, where are you taking me? Leave my hand, you're hurting me!" Khushi screeched while Arnav dragged her to the Poolside by her injured wrists. She pressed down on the bandage to assuage the shooting pain in her slit wrist. After the pain receded marginally, she looked up into his cold dark eyes. _Oh no, I know these eyes._ Khushi dreaded those cold eyes.

"Oh, I'll tell you." Arnav responded. He reminded himself of why he was doing this and ploughed on, "How much do you love your sister?" Khushi turned to look at him wondering what he's getting at. He continued, "You can do anything for her, right?" He said it like a sentence but turned it into a question as an afterthought.

Khushi, unable to understand whether his hostility is due to his confrontation with Shyam's reality or something new, decided to broach him carefully. She nodded in confirmation and said, "Yes."

"Then you have to do something for your sister." Arnav said in a quiet but hard voice.

"Wh-what?" Khushi stuttered while she was trying to work out what he meant but failed to guess his end game.

Arnav turned towards Khushi and looked straight into her eyes. "You need to get married. To me. Right now."

"WHAT? What are you saying?" Khushi's mind suddenly goes blank. _Did-did Arnav just propose? Oh god, leave it to Arnav to make marriage sound like a death sentence._

"You heard me right. You have to get married to me. For six months. Otherwise, I won't let Payal get married to Akash."

"Marriage? For six months? What nonsense are you talking about, Mr. Arnav." Khushi walked away from him in exasperation. _Of course he doesn't want to get married traditionally. No, even marriage should be a contract with finite term for Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada._

Arnav grabbed her wrists and pulled her back to him. He pulled her close enough to hear him loud and clear. "This is not nonsense." Arnav stared into her eyes to emphasise the gravity of the matter.

"You-How can you do this?" Khushi stuttered in his arms.

"Yes or no?" Arnav muttered through his teeth.

"YES or no?" He tightened his grip on her arms. "Khushi, I'm asking you for the last time. Yes or no?"

Khushi peered into his hollow dark eyes full of wrath and hatred and, beneath it all, a lot of pain. She pulled herself free of his grip and declared, "No! Never. What do think about the institution of marriage? How can you even say something like this Mr. Arnav? And-and here I thought –

"Think again, one more time." Arnav interrupted her thoughts.

Khushi strengthened her resolve, "I told you, I –

"Come here," Arnav took her by arms and flipped her over to oversee the wedding party and guests waiting for them to arrive. The wedding was at a standstill due to Arnav and Khushi's absence. The Bride and Groom were anxiously waiting for their respective siblings to initiate their wedding vows.

"Look there, everyone is waiting at the _mandap_. Till the time "I" don't join them, Akash won't make his marital vows."

Khushi stood rooted to her spot, stunned by his declaration. The implication of his words froze her heart with fear. She could never let this happen to her sister again. She had already been a reason of her sisters broken marriage, she could not fail her again. She would reason with Mr. Arnav, she had to.

"Why are you testing me, Mr. Arnav? You can't do this, my sister's marriage –

"I can do this. And, I will do this. If you don't get married to me then I wouldn't let your sister marry Akash. And you know that Akash never says no to me."

"No," Khushi pleaded with Arnav, "you can't do this."

"You know I can do this Khushi Kumari Gupta. My Aunt is already against this union, she needs only one excuse to break this relationship apart. And that excuse shall be provided by me." Arnav observed Khushi's eyes finally accepting the seriousness of the matter. He decided to close the deal.

"You will accept my condition. You will marry me. Today. For six months. Khushi, you know very well that I can stop this marriage anytime. You know what, now the decision of your sister's life is in your hands." Arnav stared at Khushi's distress with impassive eyes.

"I can't do this." Khushi surprised Arnav by her refusal.

"Okay," Arnav hardened his clenched jaw, "If this is your final decision, then get ready to wipe tears from your sister's eyes." Arnav walked away from Khushi leaving her with past memories of her sister's first marriage and the thoughts of repercussions of his promised absence from the wedding.

"Wait!" Khushi screeched.

When Arnav turned to face her, he expected to find a crying mess of a Khushi accepting his proposal, but instead he found a determined Khushi wiping her tears and steadily approaching him instead.

"You really think you can stop this marriage?" Khushi palmed her forehead preparing for the impending headache this conversation was about to bring.

"Of course, I can, Khushi. Do you doubt my words?"

"I want to understand why you think your absence from the marital vow ceremony can cancel the wedding. It can certainly postpone it till the time it is permissible to be postponed but I can't possibly cancel the wedding itself." Khushi stated while Arnav started taking slow steps towards her.

"What part of Akash never says no to me can you not comprehend?" Arnav cinches his lips in irritation.

"The part that leads to mean that Mr. Akash would not stand up to defend his marriage and that he would not respect my family's honour. If Mr. Akash's consent for this marriage stems only from your acceptance and not his love for her then maybe my sister deserves someone with better priorities."

"Bravo, Khushi, remember when you're wiping those tears from your sister's eyes that this was YOUR decision and that YOU did this for a better husband for your sister." Arnav looked at Khushi with hatred in his eyes.

"This isn't about my sister, is it Mr. Arnav?" Khushi suddenly asked. Something about the way he said "husband" like the word tasted bitter in his mouth struck her.

 _What kind of a question is that_ , Arnav wondered. "Of course, it is Khushi. Who else is getting married right now?"

"This is not about my sister's marriage, it's about yours. Isn't it?" Khushi looked him straight in the eye. She didn't have any idea how accurate her observation was till she finally saw the flash of pain in Arnav's eyes. That flash was the answer to all her problems. She suddenly knew what he was talking about and why; she didn't any reasoning or explanation anymore.

"My answer is yes, Mr. Arnav." Khushi states without any implication.

This was the second time Khushi surprised Arnav in the last fifteen minutes.

"But," Khushi continues, "The six months shall start after one and half months."

"You don't decide the conditions Khushi Kumari Gupta –

"But I do, Mr. Arnav. Would you rather end our marriage when your sister is in her final month of pregnancy or when she's had the baby and rested a while to take the mental punch of the end of our marriage? Also, do you really want to take away her happiness and joy of organising your wedding?"

Arnav's forehead clears itself of confusion lines as the implication of her words hit him. She figured him out, it disconcerts him but it's not the first time she's done it so at least it doesn't surprise him.

"But –

"I hate Shyam Manohar Jha. I don't hate people easily, Mr. Arnav, but I hate that man. He has hurt my family's reputation. He has blackmailed me and after everything I've told you if you still think I'm a threat to your sister's marriage then I can't help your paranoia. Please try and understand, the only person that is a threat to her marriage is her cheating husband."

"Who cheated on her with YOU, Khushi Kumari Gupta!" Arnav bellowed which brought tears to Khushi's eyes.

"He cheated on me too! He pressurised my family for our marriage. He got engaged to me! All when he was already married to the most wonderful person in this world." At this, Khushi fell on her knees and sobbed. "I'm sorry for what happened with Ms. Anjali, Mr. Arnav. I'm really sorry, but I was not at fault for it. You cannot punish me and my sister for Mr. Shyam's crimes."

Arnav got on his knees to her level, "Yes, I can. You lied to me and your sister is still lying to Akash and our family. Lying by omission is still a lie, Khushi. I can never trust you or your words again. Never."

Khushi took a deep breath and said, "Then, don't trust me. But, don't sit here and tell me if you were in my place you would've done any different because I know you have and will lie for your sister's happiness. I was saving my sister's marriage, Mr. Arnav. If that makes me a liar in your eyes, so be it. My answer to your marriage proposal is still yes. Let's announce our engagement after the marriage vows."

She raised herself and took small steps waiting for Arnav to give her a reaction. Arnav remained sitting on his knees in deep thoughts. Khushi took his non-reaction as affirmation and proceeded to go back to the marriage venue.

xoxo

"Are you happy now?" Arnav played with Khushi's lock of hair while she was lying on his chest. She looked up at him and answered, "I said my piece, yes."

Arnav smiled while thinking, _she looks so beautiful_.

The heavens tinkled with Khushi's laughter. "I can hear your thoughts, you know."

Arnav captured her lips with his own interrupting her laughter in the best way possible.

"You were always able to hear my thoughts, Khushi."

She nodded and combed her fingers through the litter of hair on his chest. He held her hand and kissed her palm.

"So, now what?" Arnav asked Khushi.

"Now we live in heaven, forever. Happily ever after." Khushi answered.

"Forever with you, I'd like nothing better."

 **A/N: That's it y'all. I'm sorry this has taken so long. This story is complete now. I may upload an Epilogue, I'm not sure. I haven't written it down yet. I don't even know what to write in it. Honestly, if you've got a scene in mind that you'd like me to reword and write fresh, I can do that. Or, I can tell you about what's happening in everyone's life. It's up to you and me. Tell me what you want.**

 **All my love**

 **sri**


End file.
